


pretend and let pretend

by sandpapersnowman



Category: The Outer Worlds (Video Game)
Genre: Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Canon Lesbian Character, F/F, Lesbian Character, Multi, Other, POV Ace Spectrum Character, POV Lesbian Character, POV Second Person, POV The Captain (Outer Worlds), Pining, Relationship Discussions, Secret Crush, Threats of Violence, not telling your crush u luv her....
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:41:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21869203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandpapersnowman/pseuds/sandpapersnowman
Summary: "You're a bambi." It was a term your girlfriend’s friend had brought up, and hearing it from her made so many things makeso much sense. "Someone that's more interested in cuddling and kissing than sex, y'know? I had a friend that didn't care about having sex either way, take it or leave it, but she was still affectionate."Her eyes widen. You recognize the look, the feeling, because you'd been there too."Oh!" she gasps. "That's... I'd never heard of a word like that."...Adjusting to a new future hasn't been comfortable in the slightest, but Parvati makes it easier.
Relationships: Parvati Holcomb/Junlei Tennyson, unrequited Parvati/The Captain
Comments: 8
Kudos: 77





	pretend and let pretend

**Author's Note:**

> title from phoenix's [Lovelife](https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/phoenix/lovelife.html)
> 
> bambi lesbian is a real term that arose in the 1980s-ish i believe? and is so cute and it was killing me i cant personally tell parvati so i did the next best thing and wrote reader/pov fic

Adjusting to a new future hasn't been comfortable in the slightest, but Parvati makes it easier.

It's funny, isn't it? If you hadn't been on the Hope, if you hadn't been frozen for almost a century and then been the particular passenger Dr. Welles woke back up, you would have never met her. You might have lived your whole life without knowing that one day, she would exist, and the whole universe would shine so much brighter for it.

You've been trying to test the waters — you don't _flirt_ , really, because you're technically the captain of the ship she works on and you don't want her to feel like you expect anything like _that_ from her, but you're friendly. Friendlier than you are with most everyone else, and you try to compliment her an appropriate amount.

On the Groundbreaker, she mentions wanting to meet an engineer there. It's perfect; you get to introduce her to someone she can learn even more from, you get to watch her be excited about it, and then maybe once you're getting food at the end of the night, you can just... Casually bring things up. Things like holding hands, maybe, or leaning against each other when you catch up on the serials with her.

You'd been getting sort of romance-only vibes from her, and when she'd awkwardly explained her general disinterest in the _physical_ stuff, you'd nodded and shrugged.

"You're a bambi."

"A... What?" she'd laughed. "What's that?"

"A bambi," you repeated. It was a term your girlfriend’s friend had brought up, and hearing it from her made so many things make _so much sense_. "Someone that's more interested in cuddling and kissing than sex, y'know? I had a friend that didn't care about having sex either way, take it or leave it, but she was still affectionate."

Her eyes widen. You recognize the look, the feeling, because you'd been there too.

"Oh!" she gasps. "That's... I'd never heard of a word like that."

"Not many people have," you assure her, because it doesn't happen often but you know it bothers her sometimes when she doesn't know something common. It's not like she'd be at fault anyway; you'd only heard the term from that one girl, and the rest of your gang had picked it up from there. "It's not widely used anymore, but I think it fits. For me, anyway," you add. "Maybe you too, I don't want to assume," you also add. You're talking too much. "I remember being relieved hearing other people describe my feelings, and then I didn't feel so weird about it, I guess."

You need to _stop talking_.

Parvati's eyes go even wider, and the light blush on her cheeks darkens and spreads.

" _Oh_ , you're — you too?" she asks. It has to be wishful thinking on your part, but she sounds kind of hopeful. "That's nice to know that you understand, then. Won't be calling me a... A robot or lizard or anything," she laughs awkwardly.

Things seem more socially progressive now, not that things weren't pretty alright before getting on the Hope, but there's always _someone_ that needs a kick in the teeth before they'll treat you like a fellow human being. Assholes.

"Of course not," you assure her, "and if anyone talks about you like that again, just let me know if you want me to hurt them."

She laughs like you've made a joke, but it peters out when she recognizes the small, bitter smile on your face as 'has definitely punched someone for making a rude comment before'.

"Well, thanks," she mutters, shyly. 

It would have worked out perfectly if Junlei hadn't been... Lovely. And definitely _very_ interested in Parvati.

You think about offering yourself as an option when she's fretting over talking to Junlei as a romantic prospect, but you can't bring yourself to do it. Parvati could have a partner that works in the same field as her, with a stable home and community, and none of your century-ish of baggage.

You grin and bear it.

You'd rather have her friendship.

**Author's Note:**

> i haven't actually finished outer worlds yet but parvati is so so good and i luv her
> 
> i'm also [sandpapersnowman on tumblr](https://sandpapersnowman.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
